Thursday, August 29, 2013

( It is believed that
river Brengi which disappears at Dewalgaam in the limestone fissures, emerges
and gushes out from the SOSANWAR hill to form Achhabal water spring . Old name of
Achhabal was Akshavala .It was founded by King Aksha who is believed to have reigned over Kashmir from 486-326 B.C.. Kalhana also records the name of
the village Akshavala .It was later extensively remodelled by the Mughal
rulers in 1620 as a retreat for NUR JAHAN..)

The thick blanket of
water laughed to its heart’s fill. Carefree and happy, it danced down the
hill.Does it know who wept and for how much time? Does it know about the tear
streams that keep coming down our eyes . I believe NO. And kashmiri poet Dina
Nath Naadim too conveys this feeling in this couplet …

It was a practice in kashmir
that some persons would invariably attend a marriage feast uninvited. This
skilled class included young , middle
aged and old people. Ladies rarely indulged in this adventure . Every member of
this select group was individually nicknamed as DUDDA

.A popular kashmiri Axiom goes
as under ;-

“ Aukh Dudda Ta Beyi Maaji kyutt Bataa Toak. ”

“ Himself uninvited guest( Dudda ) and
then seeking a Tiffin for his mother from the marriage kitchen ”

A Dudda was a normal person except that he had a compulsive trait of slipping without any invitation into a
marriage crowd to relish the sumptuous lunch or Dinner . A Dudda would
make a safe entry into a marriage
feast by joining Baraatis near the bride’s house . He would wait unnoticed for the Baraat to arrive somewhere near the bride’s house and Once he heard the COONCH
SHELL SOUND ( Sheinkh Shabd ) blown to declare the arrival of a
bridegroom , he would immediately slip into the Baraat crowd. No
interaction . No communication. Just slip in ,enter , eat and leave .

I have personally known a school friend who was a practitioner in this
field . This particular boy would also keep a track of marriages in Habba Kadal
srinagar area where his mother had her parental home
( His Matamaal ). Once away from
Rainawari , he would relish marriage feasts uninvited with confidence .In
Rainawari , he ran the risk of being
located and identified as DUDDA
by friends and neighbours .This friend
of ours rose to the post of a senior official in J&K Government . I vividly remember my friend Kuldeep
Machama informing me that he had personally seen this person
joining a BARAT in Zaina Kadal as DUDDA
even after joining the Government Job .That was some wedding function of
a close relation of Kuldeep
Machama. This was somewhere around 1977 or 1978. In 2012 ,I
met this friend in Delhi and came to know that he had
turned a Diabetic apart from being
Hypertensive. I suggested some good physicians to him . I also wanted to ask him whether he still went for those old
adventures but something prevented me
from seeking reply to this
baffling question.

( A Buffet Lunch in a Marriage function )Once i was informed by an
elderly relation from Habba kadal that
there lived a DUDDA in his Mohalla
known as Kashi Nath. Kashi Nath
had developed a novel way of knowing clear details about marriage dates , lunch
or dinner functions and the nature of feasts ( Vegetarian or Non Vegetarian )
along with expected number of guests joining the marriage feast anywhere in srinagar city . kashi
Nath would sit in Kraal Khodd Waza
Baithaks ( Place where kashmiri cooks resided ) and gossip with the cooks over a Charminar or Passing Show
cigarette to collect his data .Kashi
Nath would only attend feasts in downtown ,
Jawahar Nagar and Rainawari where he could not be easily identified. Quite Often Kashi Nath would also
take his friend Pushker Nath for these uninvited adventures . Both kashi Nath and
Pushker Nath were government employees.

My friend Mukhtar Ahmed Handoo
informs me that DUDDA practice or what could be safely called as DUDDAISM
tried to make unsuccessful entry in Muslim marriage feasts as well.
Unfortunately the nature and style of
serving food to guests broke its
backbone. Muslim DUDDAS would often
get identified and had to beat a hasty
retreat . Guests in Muslim marriage feasts are made to eat in large polished copper plates known as Traamies . Each Trammy
is shared by four known persons . Everything is calculated and counted well in
advance . Guests are made to sit on a
well carpeted floor and practically this is the time for close interaction
between groups of four persons who are supposed to share
a common plate .Food is never served in a Buffet system nor to standing
guests .

But contrary to what my friend Mukhtar Ahmed Handoo has said, I have personally observed
DUDDAS gaining some foothold in
Muslim feasts in kashmir Latelyl.
Many friends from younger
generation often relate stories of
having enjoyed sumptuous WAZAWAAN feasts
in unknown marriage functions .And I am sure if Muslims resort to Buffet system
, Duddas shall swarm into marriage
feasts wherein WAZAWAAN is served
.

In Kashmiri Pandit marriages , food is served in individual plates and
the community has since switched over to Buffet system. The host has no control
over number of expected guests . Everything works on estimates which vary
grossly when guests actually arrive. So
in this guesswork and estimates , a Dudda
would make his way and remain
unidentified .

Tej Dhar , My friend from
Saffa Kadal in Srinagar city
informed me that two Duddas had
once joined a GAR
ATCHUN FEAST organized by his cousin’s family . They were
located only after they had consumed the lavish non vegetarian
meal. The family had organized GAR ATCHUN FEAST
simultaneously for two marriages
which meant guests from two newly
connected families apart from their own guests . A buffet lunch was organized
for about plus 250 persons under a shamiyaana
. It so happened that the host and his wife decided to give cash in
envelopes to VIP GAR ATCHUN guests
once they were leaving. When the turn of the DUDDAS came , the host
looked at his wife asking her how theses were related and whether any amount
had to be given to them. The wife too could not place them. The host then asked
smilingly.

“ Sir we are from the Miscellaneous .When you and your wife were counting
expected guest and noting them in your diary , you had noted ten misc. guests . we are just two from that Misc.lot .”

And the Duddas quickly moved
away while the host and his wife looked at each other .Dudda coming to
GARATCHUN feast is a daring act. But
then the Dhar family had invited around 250 guests for the GARATCHUN
FEAST and the DUDDAS went for the adventure only after careful ground
work in advance.

A popular Kashmir story also refers to
a marriage in the Mohalla where a DUDDA lived . His son decided to cook all the marriage dishes in the house and serve his father who was
stopped from joining the marriage
even when he had been invited.
The marriage feast was held in the adjacent vacant plot which had been duly
covered by a Shamiyaana. The son made the father to sit on a window and look at
the guest below .When water was brought for washing hands ,the son too brought
water in a jug for his father . He also ensured that dishes are put in his
Father’s plate as per the order and
system adopted in the feast being organized
below . The father could clearly
see what was happening in the Shamiyaana below . And then suddenly the father jumped from the
window to join the guests crying

“ Ashok ji ! where is the crowd in the room and where is that pull and
push ? can any person enjoy the feast
single handedly ?I am jumping down ?

During my assignment as Senior Manager in Amritsar , I had a friend Balwinder Singh who sang
Shiv Batalvi in a pain filled but
mellifluous voice . Balwinder was an officer in the bank . He wore good clothes and
liked good food. He was also fond of
good scotch but could hardly afford it.
During marriage season ,
Balwinder would have
his dinner frequently in posh Marriage Palaces or Hotels .He could
not be seen during evenings for singing Shiv Batalavi to his friends during
marriage seasons . My other friends would say that he had so many invitations
since he was a very “ SOCIAL PERSON ”.

Sometimes , Balwinder would
extend these invitations to me also but I always
refused on account of the fact that
night marriages in Punjab used to
be a Mob affair. And then as a matter of principle , I never went to a function
where I did not know the host personally or where I had not been invited. Add to this I could not withstand the disorderly boozing
in these functions .

I always believed that Balwinder had some family problem as he would never join these marriage
functions with his family. Sometimes , he would be joined by his
friend who had some business in
Katra Ahluwalia Bazaar in Amritsar .This
particular friend of Balwinder had some
business interests in Kashmir also .So Balwinder had introduced him to me. This
business man and Balwinder’s friend
kept visiting Kashmir quite often during 2000 to 2002 . He would always bring some Green leafy Haak or Walnut or Nadru for me from Kashmir
. I was obviously obliged and grateful to him for these gestures.

Then one day Balwinder came to my room at 8.30 PM absolutely uninvited.
He appeared to be a little tipsy and
said in chaste Punjabi

“ Sir ji , now come today.Today I have made a perfect jugaad for Fish , chicken , kashmiri yakhni , Naan
and I am informed that some close relative of the bridegroom
who has come from Canada ,has made good arrangement of liquor . They shall be serving Jack
Daniels , Black Dog and Chivas Regal. Today I shall just be in gulping mode
.They shall be serving food to 800 persons . Nobody shall ask "who are you?" . We shall just
enter and start ”

As he got up to leave ,He
wanted to know finally whether I was joining. Now that everything about
Balwinder’s marriage invitations and SOCIAL
PERSON was clear to me , I said I
had a guest from Jammu who had gone to GoldenTemple
.I added that we had to eat together .
That was a fact as well.

Away from my family , i was
living alone in Amritsar
near Kashmir Avenue
. I would cook my own food . Many
friends in Amritsar
would relish Yakhni prepared by me occasionally . That particular day , I
had cooked Vaarimuth (
Small sized Black Beans ) and Basmati rice . I passed on a cup of hot
and brownish Black Vaarimuth to Balwindwer . He liked it and said that
this Black Rongi ( as he called it ) was
very tasty .Once he left , I switched on my TV set for News. Changing channels for Door
Darshan News , I stopped at a channel wherein a
some religious person was holding his discourse on Food
.He said

“ Brothers, Theft of food is no theft. Where food is in abundance and a
little is stolen , no evil deed is committed by the person who steals it. It is
better than allowing it to rot. More better if it goes to some empty stomach ”

I somehow concurred with the gist of the religious
discourse. I also got convinced
that the DUDDA practice was nothing abnormal that we had witnessed in
valley . It could be a universal phenomenon . Possibly we lacked exposure and that made us to lampoon a
Dudda or laugh over this behaviour .

( Autar Mota ..27.08.2013)

PS

GAR ATCHUN is a get together
over lunch or dinner held by kashmiri Pandits . Parents and almost all close relations and friends of newly weds (
Both sides ) meet each other over a sumptuous meal usually a mid day Lunch .

DUDDA means an uninvited guest
in kashmiri language .

WAZA BAITHAK means resting place of kashmiri cooks .Hindu cooks would
confine their Baithaks in Kraal Kohodd area of Habba Kadal in srinagar
city while Muslim cooks resided in
Wazapora locality in downtown srinagar
city .

CONCH SHELLS are blown by kashmiri pandits to declare movement and arrival of the Baraat along with the
bridegroom into bride’s house . Conch shells are also blown on various
auspicious occasions and religious ceremonies.Hindus believe that the sound of conch shell drives away the evil spirits. The blowing of
the conch or "the shankha" needs a tremendous power and respiratory
capacity. They also believe that blowing it daily helps keep the lungs healthy.

Thursday, August 22, 2013

( Fresh Lotus seeds being sold On Ashai Bagh bridge near Nigeen Lake in Kashmir )

( Fresh lotus seeds after removal of the green shell )

( Bundles of Lotus stems ( locally known as Nadroo ) being sold in a shop in kashmir ) Above Photographs by Autar Mota

The lotus flower
comes from a fresh water plant ( Botanical Name Nelumbo Nucifera ) that has been cultivated mainly in southeast Asia , Mediterranean and also in
some latin American countries since
ages. In North and north east areas of the country , it
is essentially grown in lakes and ponds .
Hindus, Buddhist and Egyptians consider
Lotus as a sacred flower. The Mahayana
sect of Buddhism believes that all souls
come out from a lotus . The Buddhist Mantra "Om Mani Padme Hum"
refers to the "jewel in the lotus," which represents illumination or
enlightenment . Budhists believe that this mantra has great spiritual powers.

In ancient Egypt,
spiritual teachings held that the lotus represented the sun, and therefore is
directly linked to creation and rebirth. This belief was reinforced from
the way a lotus flower closes its petals
at night and hides under water but rising again at dawn and opening its petals .The ancient Egyptians believed that a lotus
flower gave birth to sun.. The blue lotus, especially, is highly revered in
Egyptian culture.

Hindus consider the
entire plant including its seeds as sacred as according to the Purāņas, Brahmā
( Creator of the universe ) is self-born in the lotus flower. In India
Lotus is known by various names like,
Pundarika, Padma, Kamala, Utpala, etc.

There is a popular
saying in Kashmir “ LEMBI MUNZ PAMPOSH ” with regard to Lotus Flower
which means that if one has to be in the
mud ,he must remain above it and
shine like a Lotus flower .Even its leaves were put to use in Kashmir
as saucers for eating food. The lotus
stems are eaten as a favorite vegetable in Kashmir locally known as Nadroo.So
popular was the lotus in Kashmir that children were fondly named as PAMPOSH ( lotus
in kashmiri ). We had many business houses
with names as Pamposh Traders , Pamposh Hotel, Pamposh Travels , Pamposh
Houseboat etc.

Lotus seeds or lotus nuts locally ( in Kashmiri language )
known as PUMM-BUCHH are abundantly grown
in lakes of Kashmir . You come across this
stuff being sold by footpath vegetable sellers in and around Dal lake ; Quite frequently on
Boulevard Srinagar and also near Ashai
Bagh Bridge , Nigeen lake Srinagar Kashmir .. I saw this stuff being sold near Wular lake or along the footpaths of main
Bazaar of Bandipore town which is situated on theeastern bank ofthis
Lake .I also saw PUMM BUCHH being sold near ManasbalLake ( Near TulaMula ) in
Kashmir.The fresh
variety of seeds held inside a green shell
are soft watery white and sweet
to taste . About twenty seeds are generally held on a spongy green bulb . Once
exposed to heat and air , the shell of the seeds turns hard and black and the
soft white seed inside dries up and changes
its colour to yellowish
brown .

In Kashmir these
lotus seeds are eaten raw . A good amount of dried lotus seeds are used by
kashmiri Pandits as Homa Samagri ( Material for burning in sacred Homa or
Yajna Agni ).These seeds are also put to extensive use in
North Eastern states of the country as
well. In many Asian countries the seeds are dried and used in cuisine and medicines .The use of
these seeds as medicine is quite popular in china .These seeds are also put to
use in some Latin American countries . . I found them being sold in Amritsar on footpaths just outside Ram Bagh park.

Chinese and Japanese use the paste of lotus seeds in Bakery products especially in
Pastries .It has been now established through
clinical tests that Lotus seeds act as
antioxidants and are helpful in
reducing inflammation , fighting aging and in
lowering hypertension. The practitioners
of Chinese system of medicine prescribe the seeds for well being of spleen,
kidney and heart as well.

I end this post with some lines that depict grand imagery of
kashmiri poet Dina Nath Naadim. A midnight scene has been described by Naadim
in an altogether different manner that touches and moves hearts …..

( Source :- Photographed by Autar Mota from a Photo held by J&K Academy of Art Culture And Languages . As per Shri Shantiveer Kaul son of The poet " The original portrait is with shri Shabir Santosh, as part of the legacy of his
father. Shri Santosh has steadfastly refused to part with it."

A sample of Naadim's Poetry is also added to this portrait.The lines give a feeling of helplessness of an individual who is in wait till his last breath . An overwhelming feeling of imminent LOSS but there is a cherished desire to see some one before all is over. . The final summit , a sunlit day and everything appearing crystal clear . Tears rain uncontrollably . What can one do ?The soul too has turned as restless as mercury on any surface . Why put Love to slander ?Helplessness sweating out from every pore and drenching the body . What should be done ? Here Naadim crosses all barriers of language , religious thoughts and creeds that segregate Humanity . . A profound universalization of poetic thought……..

Wukh Voat Vizz Iyye Diyye Darshun Diyye

Layyee Hoat Moat Zeeshaan Ba Kattie Dharra

Gaashuur Saathhaa--- Noor Baraata

Num Num Srehh teilaan Me Aaechhi Dharra

Oush Chhunaa Kuunei Thahraan Ba Kyaah Karra

Paaridh Zunn Gaam Praan Ba Kyaah Karra

Loluss Ma Khassi haan Ba Kyaah Karra

Ruum Ruum Gaam Gumma Shraan Ba Kyah Karra …

( Dina Nath Naadim )

For those who do not understand kashmiri language , i have attempted to put the above lines in simple english as under ....

Monday, August 19, 2013

While
rearranging my books today , I came
across a small booklet Titled
“Reminiscences of Marx ” . The
booklet has interesting articles on personal life of Karl Marx by Paul Lafargue
(1842-1911 ) and Wilhelm Liebknecht( 1826-1900 ) .Paul was one of the founders
of French socialist party while Wilhelm was a leader and founder of German socialist party .some
interesting anecdotes from the booklet are as under :-

(1)

To his friends and family karl
Marx was fondly known as Moor . And Moor was a heavy smoker who loved his Cigars .His
room would always be full of jars with tobacco , cigars and match boxes .While he was
writing DAS KAPITAL, he would tell his friends “ Look ! This book is not going
to bring in any money to pay for my Cigars ” . He was quite spendthrift in use
of his match boxes . He would use three
to four match boxes per day to light his cigars .

(2)

In his study room he had kept
photographs of his wife , daughters and Frederick Engels ( His friend and life
long companion ).Frederick Engels was Marx’s Alter Ego.The room had
books and papers kept in disorderly
position . The visitors were surprised as to how Marx could locate his papers or manuscripts in this
disorder .But this disorder was apparent
. And even while conversing , He would often stop to show a relevant passage or
figure in the book itself. To visitors
he would often say “ These books are my slaves and must serve my will
”.He had scant respect for format ,
binding and the quality of paper or printing of these books .He would turn down
the corners ,underline passages and cover the margins with pencil marks .He had
a habit of coming to these underlined passages and turned down pages again in
order to refresh his memory which was extraordinarily vigorous and accurate .

(3)

Marx knew almost all the European languages
including Russian .This talent he passed
on to his daughters as well. He read Pushkin , Gogol and schedrin in original
Russian .He had even started learning Arabic and Turkish . He
would often say “ A foreign language is a weapon in the struggle of life .” He would spend good time in Reading poetry .Dante
and Burns were his favourite poets . In fact he kept reading poets constantly
selecting them from all the European
literature . He read Aeschylus in original Greek. He read Novels as well and his Book shelf had books
of Paul De Kock, Charles Lever ,Dumas , Walter scott , Cervantes and Balzac . All
these books had passages underlined and corners folded .He knew much of Shakespeare and Goethe by heart .Quite often he would recite poems
to his daughters .

(4)

Besides reading literature , Marx
had another means of mental relaxation, Viz, Mathematics , of which he was
exceedingly fond . Algebra gave him much needed relaxation . He would often
immerse himself in this subject for relaxation. He would often say “
Mathematics is the soul of science ” He ALSO
wrote a scholarly and widely acclaimed paper titled ‘INFINITESIMAL CALCULUS’

(5)

He would sleep very late often
around 2 AM or 3 AM. and would get up by
9 AM. After a cup of black coffee and reading his news paper , he would go to
his study and get busy till 2 AM or 3 AM of next day breaking only for his
meals and a walk . The only physical
exercise he took regularly was his walking. In the course of the day he would
also sleep for just one hour on a sofa lying in his study. Sometimes he would
forget even his meals and had to be summoned again and again by his daughters
and wife to the dining room . He would eat his food hurriedly. He was a
very poor eater. He would often say “ Thinking is a great food .Even the
criminal thought of a scoundrel is grander and more sublime than the wonders of
the heavens ”

( 6)

Marx’s Saturdays and Sunday evenings were
meant for the family. On these days Marx was a delightful companion to his
friends and family. On both days , he was a loving father , a caring friend who would be seen sparkling with wit and
bubbling with humour , one who enjoyed a hearty laugh . His daughters loved him
ardently and so did his wife and Engels
. To his daughters he was a playmate who nicknamed him as MOOR .He would spend hours
with his daughters making paper boats for them and then play a sea war while burning all these
paper boats .The girls would not allow him to work on Sunday and quite often on Saturdays as well. The family
would go on long walks with Tiffin
and the girls would keep listening
lengthy stories from their father which he invented with his rich imagination. He enjoyed
becoming a horse for the girls to ride
on his back .

(7)

Marx demonstrated Noticeable moral conduct in his personal life. He always
encouraged and appreciated people with ideas .Envy , jealousy and vanity were
unknown to him..He had a deadly hatred for meanness and artificial renown . He expressed his opinions without any
reservations and any one who came close to him was influenced with his truthfulness. Throughout his life ,
Frau Marx remained his sole
companion in truest and fullest sense of the word. They had known each other
since childhood and had grown up together .Marx was only seventeen years old
when they were betrothed .Frau had a royal lineage . Her brother was a minister
to the king of Prussia and going by
these standards , Frau had married a commoner .She was a woman of
exceptional courage and patience and humility .Many factory workers in their working clothes would visit Marx family and all of them would
enjoy Frau’s hospitality . She would personally serve them tea

and food . She had a serene and cheerful
temperament .

Marx and his wife were greatly
attached to each other .Her beauty had been his joy and pride ;her gentleness
and devotion had made it easier for him to bear the misery inseparable from his troubled life as a revolutionary
socialist .The suffering which brought Frau to grave also shortened the
life of her husband .During her long and painful illness , Marx was worn out
mentally by distress and physically by sleeplessness and lack of fresh air that
he was used to during his daily walks . These were the predisposing causes of
the fatal Pneumonia that he contracted. Frau faced death like a courageous
woman . When she felt it was close at hand ,she said “ Karl , My strength is
broken ” Frau often called Marx as “ My
Big Child .”

The family had another member
named Helene who was a maid who remained a lifelong companion to Frau. Frau
treated her like another daughter. Marx and Frau treated her with respect and
dignity . Marx even played chess with her .The girls were very much attached to
Helene and loved her immensely. The girls called her Lenchen. Helene also
returned this love. Any visitor to this family was drawn to motherly love that
Helene demonstrated .Quite often Marx would obey Helene like a little child and rush
down for his meals from his study.

Marx’s family grave is situated
in HighGateCemetery in North
London. Not all members of the family are buried over here .

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Rainawari area of Srinagar city has a Glorious Past .If it produced
saints like Jeevan sahib , Miyan Shah sahib , Krishen joo kar, Zanana
Zoyee and Zind Shah Peer , it was also the birth place of Taba Ram
Turki ( 1776-1847 ) and Bhawani Dass kachroo ( husband or kashmiri
poetess Arni- Mall ) both Renowned Persian scholars and poets of
Kashmir .Taba Ram Turki was a contemporary of Gani Kashmiri .

Saiyed Mohd Madni who later came to be known ad Madin sahib in Kashmir
had also settled peacefully in Rainawari before Sultan Zain ul Abdin
made him to shift to his new capital Nowshera in srinagar city .
Pandit keshav Bhat Jyotishi , A profound astrologer and a Sanskrit
scholar who is responsible for documenting karm- kaand and various
other religious texts for kashmiri Pandits also hailed from Rainawari.
So did Jaffer Ali Artist (Reciepient of many awards ) the well known
Papier Mache Artist belong to Hassanabaad Rainawari.

Mata Bhag Bhari an old Kashmir Pandit saintly woman also lived in
Rainawari . Kashmiri Pandits used to worship Mata Bhag Bari as a saint
of highest order. She has presented a Cloak to sixth Sikh Guru
Hargobind ji on his visit to kashmir. Mata Bhag Bhari had worn her eyes
out while weaving the white cloak for guru ji. It was presented to guru
ji while he was camping at the site of present day Chhatti Paadshaahi
Gurudwara in Saidakadal Rainawari. It is mentioned in so many sikh
Scriptures that After receiving the Cloak ( Chola ) from Mata Bhag
Bhari , Guru Ji shot an arrow into the ground and water gushed out .
He took the water and sprinkled it on her eyes restoring her eyesight .
Interaction between Mata Bhag Bhari of Rainawari and Guru Hargobind ji
is well preserved and documented in almost every book written on Sikh
History and Gurus .

History informs us that during Pathan rule in kashmir , Dila Ram Quli who
rose to become a member of Qabul Darbaar was also from Rainawari. Not
only an able administrator , he was a farsi ( Persian ) poet as well.

Prof.PN Dhar well known Economist and the then Principal Advisor to Mrs Indira Gandhi was also from Rainawari. His father Vishen Joo Hakim was a Headmaster in Biscoe School in the times of the founder Tyndale Biscoe. This Hakim family lived in Sura Teng Mohalla of Rainawari in close proximity to Mission Hospital .

Noted Urdu and Kashmiri scholar
and a Sahitya academy awardee Prof. Mohd . Zaman Azurda is also from Hassanabaad Rainawari. Nand Lal Wattal a Renowned Urdu Journalist of J&K state and former Editor of Khidmat Newspaper was also from Rainawari. The list is endless.

Rainawari has another
distinction of being home to Samuel Baqqaal. Baqqaals live in Kraalyaar
Rainawari and One of their family members fondly known as Mama or
Ghulam Mohd Baqqal Adopted Christianity much before partition of the
country . He was a student of CMS Tyndale Biscoe School Srinagar ,
where probably , he came under the influence of some missionaries . He
was later known as Samuel Baqqaal.

Samuel was a brilliant
student who after passing his matriculation from Punjab University went
to Allahabad for further studies where from he did his BA followed by a
BT degree from Lahore . In Lahore his name was published in a paper
as a brave kashmiri who single handedly doused flames of a burning house
and saved life and property .

After his BT degree , he joined
CMS Tyandale Biscoe school as teacher . Soon the first world war broke
out and Samuel was selected as Secretary YMCA to go to France and
Palestine with British ( Indian ) Troops . He was the first YMCA
Secretary to enter Jerusalem with lord Allenby. Due to his amazing
qualities of Organization and leadership , Samuel became quite popular
and was later moved to Afghan war front where he was joined by Pandit
Shanker kaul ( Headmaster CMS School srinagar ), Bhagwan Das and Suraj
Raina ( Both teachers in CMS school srinagar ) to work for YMCA.

Samuel Baqqaal was later selected by Maharaja of Mysore ( who was on a
private visit to Kashmir ) for starting and heading a CMS school in
Mysore .He did this job to the entire satisfaction of the Maharaja . In
Mysore Samuel also started Mysore Boy’s scouts which earned accolades
in India .

While In Mysore ,he received a letter from his CMS
school friends that the world war had created enormous hardships for
kashmiris from greedy and profiteering Galdhaars ( food grain sellers ),
butchers , timber sellers and bakers who were backed by some
government officials . The administration had actually failed to check
black marketing in food grains . A food crisis had been created in
Kashmir valley leading to many starvation deaths . Samuel Baqqaal rushed
back to kashmir and the Maharaja of Kashmir appointed him as
Executive officer State Granaries .His work to check prices and ensure
smooth distribution through newly created Shalli stores ( Public
Distribution System ) earned him respect and admiration. He now married a
girl from Bengal . Samuel had three children from this Marriage , Two
daughters and one son. The daughters were married in well off families
while his son ( Poet Farooq Nazki from Rainawari informs me that Pran
Nath was also known as Mathieu and Nathi ) had a pathologists shop in
Maharaja Bazar Srinagar . They had cordial relations with their cousins
living at Kraalyaar Rainawari.

This lone Christian family
continued to live in Sura Teng Rainawari ( Near the Fire station ) in a
grand building representing European architecture and style in
about half an acre plot duly fenced on all sides with a tall brick wall
. That made its total segregation from immediate neighbors . The family
had their Christian friends visiting them from other parts of the city
or from plains of the country .

My friend kuldeep Machama would
visit the family and from him I came to know that Samual’s wife was
living in plains . She was possibly a Bengali Christian and was fondly
called Granny by the family members .His grandson Rafi sam Baqqal was
also a brilliant boy and must be well settled in life. I went once to
their house with my friend . The family had a very good library . I
saw books of Alexender Dumas, Charles Dickens and Somerset Maugham
kept neatly inside the Almirah . The family would go to church on
Sundays and celebrate Idd, Deewali and Christmas happily. I have no
knowledge of this family after 1990 .

Samuel Baqqal died of Pneumonia and is buried in Sheikh Bagh Cemetery Amira Kadal .